The Hindu

Bangalore, Nov 19: Karnataka Chief Minister, B S Yeddyurappa, on Tuesday expressed concern that on an average only 40 per cent of the allocated funds in the Budget for 2008-09 had been spent on various development projects and welfare schemes till October end.

Addressing a review meeting with senior officials in Bangalore on Tuesday, the Chief Minister expressed dissatisfaction over the slow rate of implementation of budgetary schemes by various departments.

Directions to officials

He issued directions to top-ranking officials to achieve the target set for this financial year. He reminded the officials that only about four-and-a-half months were left in this fiscal year.

He said the government had taken up various budgetary programmes which would have a positive impact on the lives of people. “People will trust us only when the budgetary programmes are effectively implemented,” he said.

While Minor Irrigation, Water Resources, Health and Family Welfare, Education, Medical Education and Public Departments spent 50 to 70 per cent of the budgetary allocations, other departments showed only 30 to 40 per cent progress. The budget was tabled on July 17.

The Chief Minister said the Food and Civil Supplies Department had been asked to issue biometric bar-coded ration cards for all eligible below poverty line beneficiaries before the year-end. These cards would be issued to every household by the Food and Civil Supplies Department to ensure transparency and accountability in the public distribution system.

About Rs. 6 crore would be sanctioned for implementing development works such as roads and drinking water in Gulbarga.

President’s visit

President Pratibha Patil and the Tibetan Buddhist religious leader, the Dalai Lama, would be visiting Gulbarga in January 2009. The President would inaugurate on January 7 the Buddha Vihara built by the Siddhartha Vihara Trust at a cost of around Rs. 4 crore on the outskirts of Gulbarga.

It was decided to cover an additional 1,000 villages under the Suvarna Gramodaya Scheme. Already, 1,185 villages had been covered under the scheme. The Cabinet meeting held in Gulbarga had decided to include 200 villages.

Officials would be instructed to complete repair rural roads before commencement of the monsoon.

The Government had decided to provide Rs. 1,000 to small and marginal farmers dependent on dry land farming. So far, 19 lakh farmers had been identified and funds would be disbursed to them in two weeks.

He instructed the officials to finalise a list of progressive farmers for a study tour to China and Israel.